Blast furnace hopper with leveling adjustment



Oct. 29, 1957 DE FOREST ROE 2,811,345

BLAST FURNACE HOPPER WI-TH LEVELING ADJUSTMENT Filed Dec. 17, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l/VVEN'TOR. DE FOREST ROE,

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Oct. 29, 1957 DE FOREST ROE 2,811,345

BLAST FURNACE HOPPER WITH LEVEL-ING ADJUSTMENT med Dec. 17, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'l I P1 E- E. 1,

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BLAST FURNACE HOPPER WITH LEVELING ADJUSTMENT De Forest Roe, Bronxville, N. Y., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application December 17, 1954, Serial N 0. 475,925 9 Claims. (Cl. 266-27) This invention relates to blast furnace hopper.

Conventionally a blast furnace includes a main hopper mounted on the dome at the top of the stack, a hood mounted above the main hopper, and a small hopper mounted on the hood. Large and small bells close the bottoms of the main and small hoppers respectively. Material charged to the furnace is dumped from skip hoists into the small hopper, and thereafter the small bell is opened to dump the material into the main hopper. Finally the large bell is opened to dump the material from the main hopper into the furnace stack. The double bell arrangement prevents escape of gases during charging, one of the bells always being kept closed. There is a problem in distributing the material uniformly around the furnace circumference, and usually the small bell is rotated on a vertical axis to assist in distributing the material. In a new or newly rebuilt furnace the main hopper is level, but subsequently heat, vibration and the like often cause the top to settle out of level. A non-level main hopper of, course aggravates the tendency to distribute material non-uniformly.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved mounting for the main hopper enabling this hopper to be leveled at any time, even while the furnace is operating.

A more specific object is to provide an improved mounting for the main hopper in which this hopper is supported on jackscrews carried by a ring at the top of the furnace dome, said screws always being accessible for leveling the hopper.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional vew of the upper portion of a blast furnace equipped with a mounting for the main hopper constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on a larger scale showing the mounting in more detail; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line III-III of Figure 2.

The drawing shows the upper portion of a blast furnace which comprises a dome 10, a main hopper 12, a hood 13 and a small hopper 14. A large bell 15 closes the bottom of the main hopper, and a small bell 16 the bottom of the small hopper. The bells are equipped with the usual rods 17 and 18 for raising and lowering them. Preferably the small bell is rotatable, although the ro tating mechanism is not shown.

In accordance with my invention, the upper edge of the dome carries a circumferential hopper ring 19 which has an annular horizontal flange 20. A leveling ring 21 of approximately E shape in cross section rests on this flange. The flange 20 and the bottom flange of the ring 21 have mating oversize openings which receive bolts an improved mounting for a Sates Patent G 22. These bolts attach the ring 21 to the ring 19, but allow horizontal adjustment of the former. The middle flange of the leveling ring 21 carries a plurality of upstanding jackscrews 23 spaced around its circumference and atfixed as by nuts 24. The upper flange of this ring contains notches 25 to accommodate the jackscrews. The main hopper 12 has a circumferential horizontal flange 26 which containsa series of openings to receive the upper portions of the jackscrews. Immediately under this flange each jackscrew carries a bottom leveling nut 27 having a convex spherical upper face'and a washer 28 having a cooperating concave spherical lower face. Immediately above this flange each jackscrew carries a similar upper leveling nut 27a and washer 28a. The furnace has the usual platform 29 which extends around its upper portion and from which the leveling nuts 27 and 27a are readily accessible for adjustment to level and washers permits the necessary angular movement when an adjustment is made.

The space between the web of the leveling ring'21 and the outside of the main hopper 12 contains packing 30 supported on acircumferential lip 31 on the hopper. ,The flange 26 preferably contains an inner series of openings 32 to allow a tool to be inserted for ramming the packing into place. series of gland segments 33 bolted to the upper flange of the leveling ring 21. Said segments are notched to accommodate the jackscrews 23 as shown in Figure 3;

When the furnace is erected, rigidly attached to the dome v and the leveling ring 21 is bolted to the flange 20 of the ring 19. The jackscrews 23, washers-28 and; 28a and main and the -hop'p'er -is- 'leveled by Next the hopper is centered accurately with respect to the large bell 15 and the furnace lining. Such centering is accomplished by adjusting the leveling ring 21 on the hopper ring 19 until the large bell 15 contacts the bottom of the main hopper 12 at the same height throughout the circumference. After the parts are properly centered, the flange 20 of the hopper ring 19 and the bottom flange of the leveling ring 21 can be drilled and dowels 34 inserted to retain the parts permanently in this position. Thereafter the packing 30 and gland segments 33 can be installed.

From the foregoing description, it is seen that my invention affords a simple and readily accessible mounting for keeping the main hopper of a blast furnace leveled at all times. The mounting is readily installed on furnaces of existing construction when they are rebuilt. It has the advantage of assuring more uniform distribution of the feed as the furnace settles and tends to become out of level.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of the invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a blast furnace which includes a dome, a main hopper mounted on said dome, a hood mounted on said main hopper, a small hopper mounted on said hood, and large and small bells closing the bottoms of said main and small hoppers respectively, the combination therewith of a mounting for said main hopper comprising an annular support carried by said dome, a plurality of jackscrews upstanding from said support, an annular flange on the outside of said main hopper, and vertically adjustable means fixing said flange to said jackscrews to level said main hopper.

hopper 12 are installed,

The packing is held compressed by aleveling nuts "27 and 27a, l

adjustment of the nuts.

2. In a blast furnace which includes a dome, a main hopper mounted on said dome, a hood mounted on said main hopper, a small hopper mounted on said hood, and large and small bells closing the bottoms of said main andsmall hoppers respectively, the combination therewith of a mounting for said main hopper comprising a hopper ring fixed to said dome and having a horizontal flange, a leveling ring resting on said flange for horizontal adjustment, and means fixing said main hopper to said leveling ring, said means being vertically adjustable to level said main hopper, horizontal adjustment of said leveling ring being adapted to center said main hopper.

3. A combination as defined in claim 2 including means for permanently fixing saidleveling ring to said hopper ring after-said main hopperv is centered.

4; In a blast furnace which includes a dome, a main hopper mounted on said dome, a hood mounted on said main hopper, a small hopper mounted on said hood, and large and small bells closing the bottoms of said main and small hoppers respectively, the combination there with of a mounting for said main hopper comprising a hopper ring fixed to said dome and having a horizontal flange, a leveling ring resting on said flange for horizontal adjustment, a plurality of jacltscrews upstanding from said leveling ring, an annular flange on the outside of said main hopper, and vertically adjustable means fixing said last named flange to said jacks'crews to level said main hopper, horizontal adjustment of said leveling, ring being adapted to center said main hopper.

5. A combination as defined in claim 4 including means for permanently fixing said leveling ring to said 'hopper ring after said main hopper is centered.

6. In a blast furnace which includes a dome, a main hopper mounted on said dome, a hood mounted on said main hopper, a small hopper mounted on said hood, and large and small bells closing the bottoms of said main and small hoppers respectively, the combination therewith of a mounting for said main hopper comprisinga hopper ring fixed to said dome and having a horizontal flange, a leveling ring of substantially E shape in cross section resting on said flange for horizontal adjustment and having a web and lower, middle and upper flanges extending outwardly from said web, a plurality of jackscrews upstanding from said middle flange, an annular flange on the outside of said main hopper, vertically adjustable means fixing said last named flange to said jackscrews to level said main hopper, packing between said web and said main hopper, and gland segments carried by said upper flange to hold said packing, horizontal adjustment of said leveling ring being adapted to center said main hopper.

7. A combination as defined in claim 6 in which said upper flange has openings above said packing for insertion of a ramming tool, and said upper flange and said gland segments have notches accommodating said jackscrews. 7

8. A' combination as defined in claim 6 in which said vertically adjustable means includes nuts threadedly engaged with said jackscrews and having spherical upper faces, washers having spherical lower faces engaging said nuts, the flange on said main hopper resting on said washers, and similar nuts and washers on said jackscrews above this flange. V

- 9. A combination as defined in claim 6 in which said lower flangeand the'horizontal flange on said hopper ring have mating oversize bolt receiving openings, and including additional means permanently fixing said leveling ring to said hopper ring after said main hopper is centered.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

